Research

CCEPA has a mandate to carry out and support research in applied ethics. We have supported and continue to support research by scholars from several Canadian universities. We have also facilitated research for non-profit organizations by graduate business students as part of their academic program.

Our Three Year Business Plan 2009-12 calls for CCEPA to pursue two research objectives:

1. To position CCEPA as having a credible applied research profile.
2. To disseminate research results more widely, using different means and to varied audiences.

We are currently pursuing these objectives through our support of Research Fellowships. Three Fellowships competitions have been held, in 2009, 2010 and 2011, resulting in the appointment of four research fellows:

2009:

• Dr. Amy Thurlow, Mount Saint Vincent University, who is working on a project titled "Ethics and Social Media: Redefining Public Communication in Education."
• Dr. Margaret McKee, Saint Mary's University, who is working on a project titled "An Investigation of the Ethics Training and Education Practices of Top 101 Atlantic Canadian Companies."

2010:

• Dr. Sean Wiebe, University of Prince Edward Island, who is working on a project titled "Ethics and Experience: Teacher-Narrated Professions in Contemporary Canada."
• Dr. Jeffrey Frooman, University of New Brunswick, who is working on a project titled "Are Moral Intentions Knowable: The Transparency, Translucency, and Opaqueness of Individuals."

2011:

• Dr. Sylvia Burrow Cape Breton University, who is working on "Violence Against Women: Autonomy and Integrity."

Once their work is complete we expect that Research Fellows will present their work at various CCEPA Research events.

In addition, we initiated a Scholar-in-Residence program in 2009. Dr Todd Calder, who is working on the topic of Evil, joined us as Scholar in Residence. During his time, Dr. Calder published, "The Prevalence of Evil", in Evil, Forgiveness and Political Violence, ed. Andrea Veltman and Kathern Norlock and published by Lexington Book, a division of Roman and Littlefield Publishing. Dr Calder also presented a paper "The Need For Evil" at the Atlantic Canadian Philosophical Association Conference held in Sydney, Cape Breton, in October 2009.

In 2010, Professor Brent Cotter, past Dean of Law at the University of Saskatchewan joined us as Scholar in Residence. Professor Cotter's interests lie with legal ethics which has become the main focus of his academic work. At CCEPA, Mr. Cotter is working on completing the 2nd edition of the National Casebook in Legal Ethics and Professionalism in which he is a contributor and co-editor. He will also be working on a project related to the essential nature of confidentiality from the personal to the 'institutional', including its role in legal, medical, and religious contexts.

CCEPA is also exploring with selected partners the potential for joint sponsorship of research which addresses aspects of our mandate.

Call for Research Fellowship proposals 2011

CCEPA is pleased to announce a further Research Fellowships competition for 2011. Potential applicants are invited to review the Call for Proposals and submit their applications by May 27, 2011. Click here for more information.